Community health care continues to be one of my top focuses. To that end I have been very involved in the Strathcona Community Health Network and just last week was elected as the non-aboriginal Co-Chair of the regional Table of Partners which acts as the networks governance committee. The aboriginal Co-Chair is Nick Chowdhury, a member of the Da’naxda’xw/Awaetlala First Nation, and comes to the health network through his work with the First Nation Health Council. The community health network brings together people from wide-ranging backgrounds, roles and perspectives to take action on issues that impact health and well-being in our communities. We intend to focus on complex issues, up-stream issues that will be better addressed by a collaborative and multi-disciplinary approach.

At the last large gathering of the Network in November of last year, the need for some form of central coordination and governing body was highlighted and people interested in helping with this next step came forward to establish an interim ‘governance group’. We have had to build relationships and understand how to work with each other and within the context of the respective agencies we bring to the table. We have learned from our counterparts in other networks about the importance of taking time to build the best foundations for the success of this network.

This is an exciting time for the Strathcona Community Health Network as we launch the advertisement for the Strathcona Community Health Network Coordinator and an open call for membership to the Table of Partners. Please find attached the information and application packages for both. Please note the application deadline for the Table of Partners is September 12th and for the Network Coordinator it is September 23rd. The Table of Partners, the Co-Chairs (myself and Nick) and the Coordinator will provide the central governance for the network going forward. Please pass this message along to anyone who might be interested in applying for these positions. Of course there will be plenty of opportunities for broader network participants to continue to be involved as the network moves into action to address the social determinants of health in our Region.